The Role of P-glycoprotein in Intestinal Tumorigenesis: Disruption of Mdr1a Suppresses Polyp Formation in Apc(Min/+) Mice

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediates the active transport of various substrates including xenobiotics, and it thus has a protective function in various cell types and tissues/organs including the intestinal epithelium. However, whether or not P-gp plays a positive role in the intestinal tumorigenesis is unclear. We have introduced disrupted alleles of the murine P-gp gene, mdr1a, into Apc(Min/+) mice to evaluate whether P-gp plays any role in intestinal carcinogenesis. Spontaneously occurring DNA damage was significantly increased in both the small and large intestine of mdr1a(-/-), Apc(Min/+) mice compared with mdr1a(+/+), Apc(Min/+) mice. Furthermore, we observed active proliferation and rapid migration/disappearance of enterocytes in the intestine of the compound mice deficient in mdr1a. Finally, we found that the number of polyps and cancers was markedly decreased in mdr1a(-/-), Apc(Min/+) mice (P=0.0016). P-gp thus appears to play a positive role during intestinal tumorigenesis.